Shadow Killer
by gatorgirl2016
Summary: Post War fic. Harry is an auror and is charged with hunting down a psychotic killer. Along the way Harry falls out of old love and into new love. Rated M for homosexual acts, gore, violence, sexual situations,.


"HARRY JAMES POTTER! HOW DARE YOU, HOW FUCKING DARE YOU," screamed Ginny Potter as she stormed through the house towards the kitchen.

As she flew in, she threw the morning edition of the Daily Prophet on the table. Harry jumped from where he sat, his coffee spilling everywhere. He cursed to himself before using his wand to make the mess disappear. He went to the pot and poured another cup of coffee. He was a grouch in the morning and if he didn't get his daily dose of caffeine, he would be an arse all day.

He scowled at his wife when he finally turned to her, "What in the hell are you talking about and would you please not scream cuss words, we do have little kids in the house after all. I thought you were in too much agony with the pregnancy to be up and around"

Ginny practically growled at him, "I can get up when I feel like especially when I find out my husband is a two timing no good for nothing cheater."

Ginny crossed her arms and pointed at the paper. Harry set his cup down and calmly picked up the newspaper. After seeing the front cover, he paled and his mouth dropped open. Taking up the whole front page was a huge picture of Harry kissing another man.

Harry looked from the paper to his wife, "Ginny, you need to let me explain. I…."

Ginny cut him off, "Explain what? You want to tell me that you're gay and have obviously been cheating on me."

Harry threw the paper down in disgust. He knew exactly who had printed the story and vowed to himself that this time he would ruin Rita Skeeter. He turned to his wife who was practically spitting fury. He knew if looks could kill, he would be nothing more than a pile of ash.

"Ginny, look, I promise it's not what it seems like. Colin kissed me, not the other way around."

Ginny huffed, "Yeah sure, then how come the article says the great Harry Potter was enthusiastically locking lips with longtime fan Colin Creevey."

Harry could feel his temper running short, "Come on Ginny, you and I both know you can't trust a thing Skeeter says. She's the liar not me. I mean do you remember all the stupid articles she wrote in school about me. That woman wouldn't know the truth if a basilisk bit her."

Ginny picked up the paper and pointed to the moving picture. All that could be seen was Colin throwing his arms around Harry and Harry doing nothing to push him away.

Ginny spoke up, "It doesn't look like you seem to upset and she didn't make you two kiss, only got evidence of the crime."

Harry snatched the paper and set fire to it before turning back to his wife, "I was in shock Gin. I wasn't expecting to have my arms full of a drunken Colin. As soon as I got my senses I pushed him away. C'mon Gin, why won't you believe me?"

"Harry, I want to believe you, I do but the evidence speaks for itself. You didn't get home until extremely late and you slept on the couch. None of those things point to the fact that you wanted to be with me last night," the red head ranted.

Harry groaned; he had never expected things to be this bad. He had assumed Ginny would be upset but not like this. He rubbed at his head; already he could feel the oncoming headache.

He decided the easiest way to deal with the situation was to just show Ginny what happened. Before his wife could say another word, he grabbed her wrist and dragged her upstairs. When they reached their bedroom, he locked the door behind them. Ginny immediately tried to open it and glared at him when she couldn't.

Harry just shrugged his shoulders, "You aren't leaving until you know the truth. Now just sit there until I can find my pensieve."

After a few minutes of searching in the closet, Harry pulled out a small stone basin. It wasn't nearly as extravagant as Dumbledore's had been but it served its purpose. Harry tapped his wand to his forehead and a long silvery substance followed the tip as he pulled it away. He dropped the memory in the basin before turning back to his wife. She sat on the bed looking everywhere but at him. He walked over to her and held his hand out. She stared at it for a moment before standing up and walking past Harry without a word.

She looked into the pensieve for an instant before leaning over and being sucked inside. Harry shook his head in annoyance. He loved Ginny to death but she was far too stubborn for her own good. She also had a habit of jumping to conclusions and she had a jealous streak a mile wide. Harry sighed before following his wife into his memories.

**The Previous Night**

"Gin, have you seen my tie? I've looked everywhere and I can't find it! Did one of the kids run off with it," Harry shouted from the bedroom. He checked his watch, "Damn, I've got to find the stupid thing. The party starts in half an hour and I was supposed to be there by now."

At that moment James ran into the room, Harry's tie around his forehead. He was quickly followed by Harry's other son, Albus. James was four and Al was three. Harry turned and scooped up James in his arms.

He chuckled at his son, "Now, that's where my tie got to. C'mon scamp, time to give it up."

James pouted but he did relinquish the tie. As soon as Harry set him down, he and Albus ran back out the room, screaming and laughing. Harry finished getting dressed and checked his appearance one last time in the full length mirror. He had on black trousers and loafers, a purple button down shirt, and a black jacket to go over it. He had never really got over his love of muggle clothes and preferred them over wizard robes. His tie was alternating stripes of purple and black.

He tried to once more to comb down his hair but it was still as messy as ever. He had ditched the geeky glasses months after the War and now wore contact lenses. They had made things much easier after he had become an auror. He pulled at the sleeve of his shirt, making sure the small phoenix tattoo on his wrist was covered. Finally satisfied with himself, Harry headed downstairs.

Ginny was in the living room, lying on the couch. She was four months pregnant and this pregnancy was really wearing her down. She often complained how it was the worst one yet and how she would never have any more children.

Harry walked over and kissed her on the forehead, "Well, I'm off. James and Albus are playing upstairs. If you need anything, call Lonky. Is there anything else you need?"

Ginny struggled to sit up before turning to Harry, "I know how to call for a house elf Harry. Just have fun and be home soon. I'll miss you."

Harry kissed her before calling out a goodbye to the boys and heading out the door. He checked his watch once more and picked up his pace. His family lived in an exclusive all Wizard community that was only a ten minutes' walk from the Ministry of Magic which Harry had never been more grateful for.

He was glad that it was a cool evening or else he would have been sweating by the time he had arrived to the Ministry. It was the five year anniversary of the end of the War. Every year Harry was forced to come and give a speech, which he dreaded. He was a terrible public speaker and never knew what to say. Besides, he had felt that everything that needed to be said had been said. The War was done, people had died and they had been honored. What more was there?

The worst part about this year, he was going alone. Ginny had refused point blank to go, using the pregnancy as an excuse. She knew as well as Harry that the event was as boring as taking the N.E.W.T.S. He loved his wife, he really did but sometimes he wondered if they really were such a good match. Lately he had been feeling trapped and felt that the only good thing to come from the marriage was the children. When he looked at Ginny, he didn't have the same gut reaction that he used to.

Harry shook himself from his stupor before heading inside. He had to go in sooner or later and he figured the quicker he got in there, the quicker he would get home. He was actually surprised when he walked inside. The main floor of the Ministry had been utterly transformed. All the decorations were in alternating hues of gold and silver. Multiple chandeliers hung from the ceiling. Tables were arranged around a large rectangular dance floor. Three tables along the back of the room were full of an array of food. In the middle was a giant ice sculpture of a lightning bolt. Harry groaned to himself, the Ministry always found a way to tie him in to the celebrations even though he had requested otherwise.

Already there were a few couples on the dance floor. He recognized one as Ron and Hermione. He spotted Arthur and Molly as well. He walked over to the punch making sure to hunch his shoulders hoping no one would recognize him. He finally reached his destination and poured himself a glass. As he turned around, he bumped into a familiar face.

He cursed to himself, "Dammit," before saying aloud, "Good evening, Malfoy."

The blonde smirked before saying, "It was until I saw your face."

Harry felt his blood begin to boil, "Look, Malfoy, it's been five years since our school days. Can't we at least put our old grudges aside?"

Malfoy took a sip of his drink before saying with a menacing tone, "Listen Potter, you and I will never be on speaking terms. So, why don't you go over to the mudblood and the Weasel or better yet, go home to the Weaselette and produce more of your demon spawn."

Harry slammed his glass down, "How dare you, if it wasn't for me, your ass would have been dead all those years ago. Or have you forgotten the Room of Requirement fire incident? The least you could do is not insult me, my friends, or my family."

The blonde looked completely unfazed by the brunet's words, "Don't forget Potter, you were only repaying the favor." Draco chuckled softly at Harry's confusion, "Believe it or not, I knew it was you that night in the Manor and still I said not a word. So you see it really just boils down to the whole, a life for a life saying."

Harry narrowed his eyes and hissed at Malfoy, "Don't forget the only reason you have your wand back or that your ass isn't rotting in Azkaban is because of me. So, don't you see Malfoy, you haven't really paid me back."

Malfoy looked undignified as he tried to make a comeback, "Screw you Potter, I haven't killed you yet or sent someone to, so I think that's repayment enough."

Harry looked disgusted at the blonde's words, "See, this is what I'm talking about. Why can't we just quit running in circles trying to outdo each other. Don't you find it a bit tiring?"

Draco filled his glass before saying one last thing, "I know your head is thick Potter so I will say this one more time, stay away from me and watch your back or else. Snakes always have a tendency to bite when it is least expected."

With that Malfoy walked away. Harry stared after him until the blonde disappeared in the crowd. After all these years, the two of them were still as bitter towards each other and Harry had to accept the fact that it would always be so. He drained his goblet before refilling it, this time with something a little stronger.

"You know firewhiskey causes you to be a huge attraction to wrackspurts," said a wispy voice from behind him.

Harry almost gagged on his drink before turning around to come face to face with his longtime friend, Luna Lovegood. Harry immediately enveloped her in a hug. As they parted Harry got a good look at her and could only smile and shake his head.

In the time that they had graduated, Luna had changed the least. She still had her long, wavy blonde hair, her silver eyes were still a little too large for her face, and her smile was as quirky and mysterious as always. Her wand was in its usual spot: tucked behind her ear. She was wearing her famous radish earrings, a necklace that looked to be made from unicorn hair, and a bright lime green dress made entirely from feathers.

"Wow, Luna long time, no see. That's quite a…interesting ensemble you've got on there," Harry said, hoping he sounded sincere.

Luna looked down as if she had forgotten what she was wearing and shrugged her shoulders before saying, "The dress took me a very long time to make. The feathers are from a rare type of bird called an Andalusa. They can only be found on islands located in the infamous Bermuda Triangle. The unicorn hair in the necklace is special because it comes from Japanese unicorns. It took me months of scouring through forests to collect enough."

For the next fifteen minutes, Harry and Luna chatted enthusiastically. Harry was quite enthralled with how she had moved on to be a naturalist and had married fellow naturalist Rolf Scamander. They had spent the years travelling the world and documenting numerous magical creatures. She was only back in town for a little while and they agreed to have lunch before she left for her next adventure.

Their talk ended when Rolf showed up and asked Luna to come dance with him. Harry waved them off and once more started sipping on his fire whiskey. He made a plate of food and found a table to sit it. He was soon joined by his two best friends.

"Hello Harry, how have you been," Hermione asked a little breathlessly.

Her and Ron had been dancing non-stop since they had arrived and both were tired and in dire need of a drink. They had finally moved from the dance floor and both looked a little worse for the wear. Hermione's hair was falling from its bun and Ron's robes were sticking to him slightly. They were dressed in matching colors of deep navy blue. After graduation, Ron had become an auror like Harry and could finally afford dress robes that weren't hand me downs. The dress Hermione was wearing had been an anniversary present and had cost a heavy penny. Ron often liked to splurge just to prove how far he had come.

"Ah, you know same old same old. Ginny is complaining about the pregnancy, work is crazy and I have about a million papers to file, and I'm stuck at a party I don't really want to be at," Harry said nonchalantly.

Hermione rolled her eyes, "Well, you didn't have to come. You could have refused if you really wanted to."

Ron snorted, "No he couldn't; Kingsley would have had his head. Last time Harry skipped a Ministry event, Kingsley went ape shit."

Hermione slapped her husband on the arm, "Ronald, what have I told you about that kind of language? Just because the kids aren't around doesn't mean I condone it."

Ron and Harry smiled at each other. Hermione would always be her overbearing bossy self and not even marriage and kids would change that. She had become an Unspeakable for the Ministry and made sure that her work was kept confidential at all times. Even Ron, who was her husband, knew little to nothing about what his wife did eight hours a day.

Harry noticed Ron glaring at someone across the room and looked in the general direction and saw Malfoy talking to his wife and a few friends.

Ron muttered, "Bloody ferret and his scumbag friends shouldn't even be allowed here. They all act like they are too good for it anyway. I mean, not a single one of them works. They just live off their family's money."

Harry and Hermione shared knowing looks. Even though Ron had become a successful auror and didn't have to worry about money, he would never get over all the taunting and teasing from his childhood. He still held a grudge against all Slytherins and any of the pureblood families who held onto the old ways.

Harry mentioned, "I ran into the git earlier. He more or less threatened me to stay away from him or else." His friends looked at him worriedly but he brushed it off, "C'mon guys, it's Malfoy. I think I can handle myself when it comes to him."

Hermione looked skeptic but Ron enthusiastically agreed, "You're right mate. You can best him in anything, quidditch, spell-work, potions….well maybe not potions."

Harry frowned, "Gee, thanks for the support Ron."

The red head frowned sheepishly, "Sorry but the truth is the truth."

Hermione made a slight cough, "Boys, now really. Harry would you like to go dance with me?"

Harry blanched but before he could respond, someone hollered his name. A second later, Kingsley materialized out of the crowd. The dark skinned Wizard had become the new Minister of Magic almost immediately after the War. It had been a unanimous agreement to put the man in office. It had turned out to be the best decision for the recovering community. Kingsley was a very open minded and fair person and believed in equality as much as Hermione believed in elf rights.

He had just about eradicated the anti-muggle and purebloods are best attitudes. He had also fought valiantly for equal rights weather witch, wizard, or creature. Of course, with Hermione helping him every so often, there was no possibility of him ever not getting what he wanted. He had turned the Wizarding World around and made it prosper.

In his deep voice Kingsley said, "There you are Harry. I've been looking for you. It's almost time to give your speech. Afterwards, I need to talk to you and Ron about three new cases that came my way. I need you both to head them all. I know it's a lot of work but I don't trust anyone else."

Harry groaned, "Kingsley, you can't be serious. We're already deadbeat as it is. We just solved four cases last week and still have two ongoing ones. We are just two people, we can't do it all. If only you'd let a few more people in on the full scope of the cases."

Kingsley cut in, "You know full access is restricted to you two. I know it's a lot of work but I have no other choice. I can't have case secrets getting out to too many people or else they could be leaked to the general public and then what would happen?"

Ron cut in, "Kingsley, Harry has a point. I know it is for security but c'mon. I mean Hermione is an Unspeakable but she isn't the only one. If they can keep a secret so can we. We need some more help."

Hermione spoke up, "Actually Ron, there are levels and each one is more secretive than the next. Only I and two others are on the highest level. It's part of the security plan Kingsley and I came up with. If the Ministry was ever infiltrated like it was in the War, there would be less of a chance of valuable information being stolen."

Harry slammed his fist down, "It doesn't matter. I'm sorry Kingsley but if we can't get more help than I have no choice but to resign. I'm never home, I never see my children or my wife, I have a baby on the way and I refuse to miss her birth like I missed James' and Al's because I was on a case. I haven't had a vacation since I became head auror nearly five years ago. I'm burnt out and I refuse to keep putting myself through all this."

All three people were staring at Harry in shock; none of them ever expected Harry to go so far. Kingsley looked furious, Hermione's eyes were shifting between the three men in nervousness, and Ron looked torn between his boss and his best friend. Hermione stood and politely excused herself from the conversation; it no longer had anything to do with her.

Kingsley finally spoke "Mr. Potter, you have your orders and you will follow them. You are forbidden to speak of the cases to anyone else besides those I have authorized."

Harry stood and glared at him menacingly, "Well then, I guess I know where I stand. And here I thought we were friends. You might be a great Minister but some people have other priorities besides their job. Maybe that's why you never married because you are already married to your job. I will give my speech and then I am formally resigning from the Ministry of Magic. I already have another offer anyway. I'm sorry Minister but I'm putting myself first for once in my life." Harry looked to his best friend, "I here-by nominate Ron for the new Head Auror position."

Kingsley glared at Harry before turning with a flourish of his robes. They watched as he rushed through the crowd muttering to himself all the while. Harry sat back down and drained his glass of firewhiskey. Ron could only look at him in wonderment.

The red head finally asked, "What was that mate? You just quit your job and royally pissed Kingsley off. Was that really the smartest idea?"

Harry nearly shouted, "Yeah, Ron, it was. I'm tired of him acting like I'm his puppet that he can pull strings with. I have my own life and dammit if I'm not going to live it. Look, I'm sorry for bailing on you but please understand that I can't do it anymore. Every day you go home three, four hours before I do and I'm still stuck in that fucking office working myself sick."

Ron sighed, "I guess you're right. Thanks for the vote of confidence but I'm not going to take the promotion. I like my job fine the way it is." Ron paused before asking, "So, what's this job offer you were talking about?"

Harry smiled and said vaguely, "You will see, trust me."

Ron shook his head before getting up and going off to find his wife. He could tell the conversation was over and that Harry wanted to be alone. The one thing Ron had learned was to not to try and pry things from the brunet. Harry would come clean when he wanted to and not a moment earlier.

Harry watched his friend leave. He supposed he should feel upset about what had happened but he didn't. He had contemplated quitting for months now. He was tired of the crazy ass hours, the endless amounts of paperwork, and the stress. Being an auror had sounded fun when it all began but not anymore.

The brunet was roused out of his thoughts when he felt the table shake as someone sat down. Harry looked up to see a man sitting across from him. He had curly blonde hair, was about fifty pounds overweight, had a camera around his neck, and seemed to be completely drunk. Harry could smell the firewhiskey from where he sat.

Trying not to be rude Harry asked, "Excuse me but can I help you?"

The man looked up and Harry gasped. It was yet another familiar face. The only thing, the last Harry had heard that face didn't survive the War.

Harry asked unbelievingly, "Colin, Colin Creevey? Is that really you?"

Colin took another swig from his bottle before answering, "Yeah, it's meh alright. Whatcha up to Hurrey… Har..Har.. Harry."

The brunet tried not to gag at the foul smell of the blonde's breath, "I thought you were dead. After the War, nothing was ever heard from you again. Where in the hell did you go?"

Colin snorted and hiccupped at the same time, "Meh parentsss took meh and meh bro..brother to America right after the War ended. Dennis found me uncon..unconscious and rushed meh away from the battle." Colin took another swig before continuing, "After Dennis got meh home, meh parentssss made me better and we all caught the next plane to the States."

Harry didn't know if it was really the truth but it didn't matter. He was happy to see Colin alive even though the younger man had let himself go. He looked worse than Harry felt. The energetic, skinny Colin Harry had known was long gone.

Harry was going to ask another question but a young witch appeared at his side. She whispered in Harry's ear and told him it was time for his speech. Harry thanked her and excused himself from Colin's company. The blonde was too busy with his face glued to the bottle to pay him any mind so Harry shrugged and walked on stage.

His speech was short and simple, "You all know who I am and I don't know half of you but that's not why we're here. We are here to celebrate the fifth year anniversary of the end of the War. Congrats on making it this far and best wishes in the oncoming year. Not a day goes by that I don't think about all the people we lost. Let's raise our glasses to honor their memories." Harry paused while everybody followed his request and then he continued, "Well, that's about it. Enjoy the rest of the party." He made to walk off the stage before remembering, "Oh, one more thing. I, Harry Potter, am officially resigning as Head of the Auror Department at the Ministry of Magic. After four and half long years, it has come to my attention that being an auror is not what I want to do with my life. After much consideration, I have decided to take the offer of being a professional quidditch player. Next season, I will be the starting seeker for the English National Quidditch Team. With that, I will say goodnight."

The minute the last word left his mouth, Harry was surrounded. Cameras were flashing in his face, reporters were firing questions at him faster than his firebolt could fly, and many others were cursing him and shouting how he was making a huge mistake. He was grateful when a loud boom went off and everyone turned to see Hermione with her wand pointed straight up. Harry gave her a fleeting smile before making a hasty exit. By the time everyone looked back, Harry had vanished.

Once he made it to the back alley, he leaned against the wall and let out the breath he didn't realize he had been holding. He had expected the uproar but he would never be used to be famous or being hounded by reporters. He pulled his coat tighter around his shoulders and started the brief walk home.

He wasn't really paying attention and ran into someone. Both men lost their balance and fell to the ground. Harry landed on bottom and the other man was sprawled on top. The breath was squeezed out of his body as the person was quite heavy. Harry strained his muscles and was barely able to push the man off. He sat up and rubbed his head before glancing over to the other man.

"Colin, what are you doing here," he asked.

The other man scratched his head before answering, "I'm not really sure. They kicked me out, said I was too drunk. I guess.. I guess I started walking the wrong way home."

Harry got to his feet and brushed his clothes off before holding a hand out to help Colin up. He had to spread his feet to help Colin up or else he was in danger of being pulled to the ground. As he pulled the other man up, Colin lost his footing and fell into Harry's arms. Harry look startled and was about to push Colin away when something unexpected happened.

Colin leaned forward and pressed his lips to Harry's. Harry's mind went blank. He was shocked and couldn't even think or react. He had never expected this night to go well but now it had gone to utter hell. Colin had progressed and his arms were wrapped around Harry's neck and Harry's hands rested on his hips. Colin licked the seam of Harry's lips and tried to push his tongue into Harry's mouth. Harry gasped when he felt Colin's erection brush his thigh. The blonde took the opportunity to thrust his tongue inside of the brunet's mouth. Harry gagged at the unwanted sensation.

After Harry regained his senses, he shoved away from the other man. He wiped at his lips furiously trying to get the taste of alcohol out of his mouth. He spat a couple of times before turning to glare furiously at the overweight blonde.

"What in the bloody fucking hell do you think you are doing? In case you don't know, I am married with kids and a wife. Nor am I some flaming ponce who goes around kissing people he hasn't seen in years," Harry seethed.

Colin's eyes were wide and bloodshot but he did seem to understand what had transpired between the two of them only moments ago, "Oh, gosh! I'm so sorry, I never meant to. Damn alcohol takes away all my inhibitions. God, I'm a fool!"

Harry was still pissed but understood that Colin wasn't all in his right mind, "Look, why don't I just take you home and we can call it a night? Where do you live?"

Colin told him the address and Harry grabbed his arm before heading off in the opposite direction. Sadly he couldn't apparate them because of Colin being drunk. Apparating and alcohol did not mix well and Harry didn't want to be puked on. The whole way, Colin muttered apology after apology and by the time they arrived Harry was ready to strangle him for a reason other than kissing him.

Harry was ecstatic when he was able to deposit the drunken man on his own couch. Harry went to the bathroom and searched for a sleeping draught and a hangover potion. He hoped Colin didn't remember any of this the next morning; it would make things easier if both of them could act like nothing had happened. Harry walked back out to find Colin passed out on the couch. He left the hangover potion on the table before going into the kitchen to look for pen and paper.

He wrote a quick note letting Colin know who it had been to bring him home. He left it beside the potion. He looked at the man on the couch and softened ever so slightly. He took the camera from around his neck and draped a blanket over him. He knew how bad things could get when you got drunk. He had gotten so drunk at his bachelor party that he had stripped naked and pole danced on Molly and Arthur's front lawn. He still had never lived it down.

He wished the sleeping man a good night before walking out the door and heading home. Ginny and the kids were asleep by the time he got to his house. It was much later than he had thought. Deciding against disturbing his wife, he stripped to his boxers and passed out on the couch like Colin.

**Present Day**

Ginny and Harry spiraled out of the pensieve and held onto each other to keep from falling to the floor. After gaining her composure, Ginny pushed Harry away from her and stormed out the room. Harry looked confused and followed.

"What is she mad at now," Harry asked under his breath.

He found Ginny in the kitchen. The kids were now up and eating breakfast, Harry decided to talk to Ginny later, not wanting to start anything in front of the children. He ruffled Al's hair and stole one of James' doughnuts before grabbing another cup of coffee and sat in his chair. After fixing some eggs, Ginny sat at the table as well.

The kids quickly caught onto their parent's mood and ate their doughnuts in silence. Ginny wouldn't look at Harry and he quit trying to catch her eye. Harry was just glad the paper had been burned before the kids had woken up. He didn't have a clue how he would explain that although he knew the likelihood of keeping it under wraps was impossible. The kids would find out sooner or later, that was sure.

Ten minutes later the doorbell rings and Harry went to answer it. He looked through the peep hole and was shocked at who it was. Ginny came up behind him and he heard her practically growl at the man in the doorway.

"You, how dare you show your face here," she spat.

"Look, I just came to apologize for my behavior last night. I'm not a very good drunk," Colin said hastily.

Ginny was about to say something else but Harry cut her off, "Ginny, enough. Go floo Ron and Hermione and see if they can watch the kids for a while. You, Colin, and I need to have a talk and I don't want the kids around when we do."

Ginny looked indignant but did as she was asked. Thankfully Ginny's bother was awake and agreed to take the kids for a few hours. After fifteen hectic minutes of shuffling around trying to get the kids dressed, they were off to their aunt and uncle's.

Once the kids were out the house, Harry, Ginny, and Colin sat down in the living room. Harry and Ginny sat on opposite sides of the couch and Colin sat in the chair. The mood was very tense as Ginny glared between Colin and Harry. Both men acted as the red head wasn't even there.

Harry spoke first, "Now Colin, what are you doing here?"

The blonde was looking around the house as if he couldn't believe he was actually sitting in the house of Harry Potter. His eyes were alight, reminiscent of those of a kid on Christmas morning. Harry cleared his throat and Colin pulled himself away to focus on the matter at hand.

He scratched at his head, "Well, I wanted to apologize for last night. Even being drunk, I shouldn't have let it happen."

Ginny screeched, "Damn right it shouldn't have happened. How dare you kiss my husband and in public no less. Who do you think you are?"

Harry glared at her which promptly shut her up. She made a "humph" sound and crossed her arms over her chest. She looked away from the two men and stared out the window."

Harry turned back to Colin, "Sorry about that. If you can't already tell, she is sort of peeved about last night. I've explained to her nothing happened but she won't believe me."

Colin exclaimed, "She has every right to be mad at me."

He then leaned towards Ginny, "Mrs. Potter, I assure you nothing happened between us except for me overstepping my limits and kissing Harry which was totally out of line. I never meant for it to happen and please be mad at me if you're going to be mad at anyone."

Ginny looked at the man, "I'm mad at both of you. You for obvious reasons, Harry for not putting you in your place last night when he had the chance. He's an auror and yet here you sit in my living room instead of in a jail cell. Worse yet, he took you home and coddled you by tucking you in. When he got home last night, he didn't even come and say good night to me."

Harry slapped his hand across his face and rubbed at his eyes before saying, "Gin, look, I'm not going to arrest Colin for making a bad decision while drunk. Lord knows when I danced in your parent's yard that was worse. Secondly, the least I could do was make sure Colin got home safely. Thirdly, when I got home, you and the children were already asleep. Last time I woke you up, I got yelled at for ten minutes. No offense but you are quite temperamental when you are pregnant and I didn't want to get my head chewed off. Even though I tried to make all the right decisions, here we sit with Colin and me apologizing and still you are pissed at the both of us."

Ginny stood as quickly as her growing belly would allow, "How dare you speak to me that way. I can't help it that I feel insecure at the prospect that my husband does not want me or love me anymore. All I ever do is try and make you happy and this is what I get: you going around and getting kissed by drunks who haven't been seen in years."

Harry muttered under his breath, "Here we go again," before standing up and pulling his now sobbing wife into his arms, "Gin, of course I love you. I'm not gay. I don't want a man in my life, I want you. We have three kids together."

That was the wrong thing to say, "Is that the only reason you are with me? Are the kids the only thing keeping you here," Ginny screeched.

Harry shook his head in defeat, "Ginny, just go away. I can't deal with you when you're like this. You're not listening to a word I say. You're just turning it into what you want to hear.

Ginny flipped her hair over her shoulder and stormed upstairs. Harry knew there was still going to be hell to pay and the prospect of sleeping on the couch for the night seemed likely. He flopped back down and turned to see Colin staring at him.

The blonde looked uncomfortable and nervous, "I'm sorry for causing all of this. I've always been a huge fan of yours, I never meant to make you upset or mad at me. I was never trying to come between you and your wife."

Colin expected Harry to shout but he didn't expect the question that came out of Harry's mouth, "Why did you do it? Why did you kiss me?"

Colin was taken aback by the question, "Well, I don't know really. I've always had a crush on you and I've preferred men over women for as long as I can remember. I mean, you never showed any signs of liking me or any other guy so I assumed you were straight. Then during school, you dated Ginny and all my hopes went down the drain. While I lived in America, I forgot about my crush on you." Colin rubbed at the back of his neck and blushed, "Being around you last night brought up all those old feelings and I just couldn't stop myself."

Harry sighed, "Oh Colin. I'm flattered and all but you and I are never going to have a chance."

Colin hastily replied, "I know and that's not why I'm here. The other reason I'm here is to let you know that I plan on telling the press the truth about last night. I want to make things right and I figured it's the least I could do."

Harry smiled, "Thanks Colin, I would appreciate it."

Colin's mood seemed to lighten up at Harry's acceptance, "I also plan on a little bit more but I'm going to need some help."

Harry looked at him curiously, "What else are you planning?"

The blonde had a mischievous look, "Oh you'll see. Can you set up a meeting between me and your friend Hermione? I'm going to need her help for this plan to work."

Harry didn't look convinced but he agreed anyway. Colin and him talked for a little bit more before the blonde finally headed home. Harry was almost sad to see the man leave. He had forgotten how friendly Colin could be.

He went to search for his wife but couldn't find her in the house. He shrugged his shoulders, assuming she had gone to a friends or something. He decided to go collect the kids from Ron and Hermione's.

When he climbed out the fireplace, he hears laughter coming from the kitchen. When he walked through the doorway, he could help but laugh. The entire kitchen was stark white. He looked to the table and found Al, James, and Rose at the dining table covered in flour just like the kitchen. Ron stood behind them looking shocked and Hermione who was at the stove looked furious.

Hermione shouted, "RONALD! I told you to not let Al or James get a hold of your wand!"

Harry snorted at his friend's mistake, "Now you know how Ginny and I feel. They turned the bathroom into their own personal pool one time and now you guys have a winter wonderland in the kitchen. What were you making anyway?"

Hermione found her wand in the mess and with a simple wave, the flour disappeared and everything was clean again, "The kids wanted to bake a cake so I figured it's be a fun thing to do but now I'm not so sure."

The three kids had sheepish looks on their faces as they jumped to the ground and ran out the kitchen. The adults didn't even know what to say. They had been troublemakers in their younger days and it seemed their children had surpassed them.

Hermione asked, "Did you get things sorted out at home?"

Harry groaned, "Don't even ask. Not trying to be mean Rob but your sister is driving me crazy. We have been so out of sorts lately and I don't know why. We seem to be arguing about everything and over the dumbest things."

"Mate, that Daily Prophet article wasn't just nothing," Ron said.

"I know that Ron but when I tried to explain, she wouldn't even listen. Colin came over and apologized and still she refused to believe us. I mean we all know what a liar Skeeter is."

They all nodded their heads at Harry's statement. Skeeter had always been a pain in the ass ever since their fourth year and it seemed she always would be.

Harry continued to talk, "At least Colin said he was going to set things straight with the press. Oh, Hermione he would also like to talk to you when you have some free time. He left me his address. Don't ask me why, he wouldn't say."

Harry wrote the address down on a napkin and handed it to his friend. After that, Harry collected the kids and headed home. Ginny still wasn't home. Harry was worried but didn't go in search of her. She would come home when she wanted to. So, Harry made dinner and gave the kids baths by himself. He read them a story before bed and then sat up and read for a while. He waited until midnight before heading to bed and still no Ginny.

* * *

**Hope you guys liked it. It's way different from anything I've ever really written. I've never written a mystery so this is going to be a challenge!**


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